Decoder Ring: Sex, Lies, and Hockey Pucks

Published: June 19, 2024, 7 a.m.

30 years ago, the Stanley Cup playoffs ignited a rumor that has been messing with Jane Macdougall\u2019s life ever since.\xa0\nIn 1994, the Vancouver Canucks had made it all the way to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the New York Rangers. When they barely lost, fans expected the team to come back blazing the next year. Instead, 1995 was a total letdown. Team chemistry disappeared and fans started looking for an explanation. Quickly, a rumor took hold: a defensive player had been having an affair with the goalie\u2019s wife, which destroyed team morale and left the franchise flailing.\xa0\nIn this episode of Decoder Ring, Acey Rowe from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation traces the Canucks rumor from locker rooms to chat rooms. And she talks to NHL players Kirk McLean and Jeff Brown to figure out how a story like this can snowball and survive for 30 years.\nThis episode was reported and produced by Acey Rowe. Story editing by Willa Paskin and Evan Chung. Decoder Ring is produced by Willa Paskin, Evan Chung, Katie Shepherd and Max Freedman. Derek John is Executive Producer. Merritt Jacob is Senior Technical Director.\nA longer version of this story was published on CBC\u2019s Storylines, part of the CBC Audio Doc Unit. Julia Pagel is the Senior Producer of Audio Docs and Anna Lazowski is the Senior Producer of Special Programming at the CBC.\xa0\nIf you have a cultural mystery you\u2019d like us to decode send us an email at decoderring@slate.com. Please subscribe and rate our feed in Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. And even better, tell your friends.\nIf you\u2019re a fan of the show, you should sign up for Slate Plus. Members get to listen to Decoder Ring and all other Slate podcasts without any ads and have total access to Slate\u2019s website. Your support is also crucial to our work. Go to Slate.com/decoderplus to join Slate Plus today.\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices